Keeping Off the Pounds: Catching up with Lighten Up Lenoir

Losers win in this game — that is, the Lighten Up Lenoir challenge. The program is designed for teams of four to encourage their fellow teammates to make lifestyle changes so they can lose weight and get fit.

Losers win in this game — that is, the Lighten Up Lenoir challenge. The program is designed for teams of four to encourage their fellow teammates to make lifestyle changes so they can lose weight and get fit.

Sponsored by Lenoir Memorial Hospital, the program attracts people wanting to lose a little to a lot of weight and get physically fit.

Some have joined because their family history is laced with medical problems like diabetes and heart attacks. Others are tired of being tired, overweight and physically unfit.

The program isn’t a weight loss diet or physical education course; it’s a motivational challenge. The LMH website provides loads of information about getting and staying healthy, including recipes, and lots of links to other informational websites.

LMH’s Minges Wellness Center offers a workout room and a variety of exercise classes for a nominal fee.

A new 16-week series begins Monday. Participants can register anytime, but teams who register this week will be eligible for prizes at the end of the challenge.

“The biggest win is to lose a few pounds,” said Constance Hengel, LMH’s director of Community Programming and Development. “… It’s really about doing it for the right reasons, and that is to slim down and get healthier.”

The first round of Lighten Up Lenoir began in January 2012 with more than 600 participants. Within three weeks, a number of people were already dropping pounds by making lifestyle changes.

The Free Press decided to see what the long-term effects have been for a few of those original participants who were interviewed for the newspaper three weeks after starting the program.

Are they on-track with their weight-loss goals and eating habits, or have they slid back into the same old routines? Here are their stories:

Trey Martin

Three-week weight loss: 10 pounds

Weight loss goal: Hoped to lose 12 more pounds

Trey Martin’s health problems were serious. He had a neurological disorder that made his hands and feet numb. He took steroids for the problem.

Between the disorder and a steady diet of junk food, he had put on an extra 80 pounds and could hardly get himself up out of a chair.

Martin began following the Weight Watchers’ guidelines and was spending about an hour at the Minges Wellness Center five days a week.

When he started Lighten Up Lenoir, he had already lost 60 pounds. In the first three weeks of the program, he dropped another 10 pounds.

Where he is today

Martin, 43, is a real loser, which means he’s a real winner.

“I reached my goal,” he said, “and surpassed it by 17 pounds.”

Page 2 of 5 - He has stuck with his healthy eating plan and continues to work out at the Wellness Center about three to five days a week.

Martin quit drinking sweet tea and eating foods like pizza, cheeseburgers and steak. He also cut back on sodas. He eats less and more slowly.

“I was told by a nutritionist to take more time eating,” he said.

He continued to weigh in each Monday for all three sessions, but said he won’t be doing so this round.

“Just don’t put it back on now is my goal,” he said about the weight he’s lost.

Lighten Up was a big motivator for him, especially weighing in each Monday.

“It kind of adds a little pressure to you,” he said. “… It kind of keeps the heat on.”

Going to the Wellness Center also provided more time with his mother, Phyllis Martin, who was also trying to lose weight. And spending more time with her was one of his goals.

Phyllis Martin was inspired by her son Trey’s loss of 60 pounds. So they joined Lighten Up together.

With a family history of heart attacks, Phyllis Martin had experienced five heart attacks and two by-pass surgeries and spent 14 years in cardiac rehabilitation.

Her diet included plenty of red meat and fried foods.

Within three weeks on the program, she had lost 10 pounds. By the end of 16 weeks, she had lost 25 pounds.

Where she is today

Martin has just about reached her goal, having lost an additional 10 pounds during each of the second two rounds of Lighten Up. She only has about 5 pounds left to go.

“(The routine’s) been working,” she said, “so I’ve been sticking with it.”

She continues to work out at the Wellness Center five days a week for about an hour and a half, avoids junk foods and only drinks sodas occasionally.

“I’m trying to eat more fish and chicken,” she said.

Her biggest challenges are drinking plenty of water and ordering healthy foods when dining out with friends.

“My son Trey has been an inspiration,” she said. “He’s done so well.”

Martin, 66, plans to continue entering her weight on the Lighten Up website for another round and strive to lose those last extra pounds.

Page 3 of 5 - Keying in each week’s weight was a factor in keeping to her goal — and having a goal makes it easier, she said.

“I think it was a wonderful program,” she said. “I think everyone that wants to lose weight should join.”

How much she lost: 45 pounds

Did she keep it off? Yes

New weight loss goal: 5 pounds

***

Keith Hayes

Three-week weight loss: 22 pounds

Weight loss goal: Hoped to lose 50 more pounds

Keith Hayes had tried a variety of trendy diets, but had decided he wanted to eat healthier. He had made that decision just prior to seeing an article on Lighten Up Lenoir.

He had an addiction to Mountain Dew and a family history of heart disease — giving him the motivation to start making changes.

Hayes began the Dukan Diet — emphasizing proteins and vegetables eaten by primitive humans, cut back on soda and walked the hospital’s track every day for 20-30 minutes.

In three weeks after joining Lighten Up, he lost 22 pounds. By the end of 16 weeks, he had lost 54 pounds.

Where he is today

Hayes, 38, gained some of the weight back over the holidays, but he continues to keep up his fitness routine.

“I still got some work to do,” he said. “… I’m not anywhere near wearing the clothes I was in before.”

He still drinks soda, but not as much as he used to drink before joining Lighten Up.

Hayes has joined the Woodmen Community Center and walks or runs the track or uses the elliptical equipment. He was going two or three days a week, but has dropped off his attendance because of his busy work schedule.

He doesn’t know how much weight he gained back. His goal is to get on the Dukan Diet this week and get that holiday weight-gain off.

Hayes said he is going to continue to work on his healthy habits on his own. The Lighten Up program gave him the push he needed to get started.

“Most of the things I do, I already knew,” he said. “… It provided the motivation to do it, instead of being slack and not doing it.”

How much he lost: 54 pounds

Did he keep it off? Most of it

New weight loss goal: 30 pounds

Marietta Miller and Veronica Lee, who were interviewed in February’s original story, did not participate in this follow-up.

Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com.

n To get started losing weight and getting fit, register for the 16-week session this week as an individual or in teams of four by visiting LightenUpLenoir.org or call 252-522-7028.

n The Free Press wants to help Lenoir Memorial Hospital kick off the first cycle of Lighten Up Lenoir for 2013 by sponsoring a contest for the Best Team Name. Teams that are registered only by the Jan. 21 deadline will automatically be entered in the contest and will be eligible for prizes. Readers of Kinston.com will help us narrow down the list of team names to the best 10; then we’ll decide the winner. All teams have to do is register, but they must register by the deadline.

Breakout box 2:

10 tips for getting back on track with healthy habits

1. Start Small

Many people go ‘all or none’ with their diet and exercise habits. If I’m used to eating a McDonald’s Big Mac Meal with a large sweet tea for lunch, it may not be realistic to say I’m only going to eat salad and drink water for lunch from here on out. Instead, start with one change like switching the sweet tea to water. Once that becomes a habit, work on another change.

So you’ve had healthy habits in the past but have fallen off the wagon? As you start back, do something that comes easier to you or that you excel in. Do you love to dance? Join a Zumba class. Do you miss eating crunchy veggies? Start adding those salads back into your meal plans.

4. Track, track, track

Whether you’re working on healthier eating habits or activity, grab a pen and paper (or a computer, tablet or Smartphone) and write or type the things you’re doing. Seeing it in black and white makes it reality. This will go a long way to helping you see areas for improvement and motivating you to stay on track.

5. Spread the Word

Tell people about your healthy goals. Include family, friends, and acquaintances (could be a gym buddy) who you know will be supportive of your goal. This helps hold you accountable. Ask them to check in on you periodically to see what progress you’ve made toward your goal.

6. Expect Setbacks

None of us will stick to our plans perfectly all the time. There will be days (or weeks) when you fail to meet your goal. Don’t beat yourself up! However, reflect on what may have caused you to get off track, and vow to start back on track as soon as possible.

Page 5 of 5 - 7. Control Your Surroundings

People are visual creatures, and the power of suggestion is strong. Evidence shows that folks who keep a dish of fresh fruit on the counter are more likely to reach for that fruit as a snack. In the same way, if your cupboard is full of potato chips and cookies, you may be setting yourself up for failure.

8. Arm Yourself with Knowledge

Knowledge is power. If you take the time to research the nutrition facts of entrees at your favorite restaurant, you’ll feel more empowered to make a choice that is on the healthier side.

9. Spice Things Up

If the thought of eating another baby carrot or walking for 20 minutes on the treadmill makes you cringe because you’ve overdone these habits in the past, try mixing things up. Look for an exciting new healthy recipe, or incorporate a different exercise into your routine. Taste buds and muscles get bored too — don’t be afraid to do something different.

10. Don’t Look for a Quick Fix

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! The reality is short-term diets do not work for sustained weight loss. Small lifestyle changes are proven to help people lose weight and keep it off. Resist the temptation to jump on board the newest fad diet or buy the latest “belly fat blaster.” If any of these things really worked, there wouldn’t continue to be a need for new weight loss products on the market. Be patient with yourself, and remember the fable of the tortoise and the hare: “Slow and steady wins the race.”